Dancing toy.



H. RUST.

DANCING TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12.1917.

lfiQEK Patented 0011.1, 1918.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORN EY HARRY RUST, OF NORTH JUDSON, INDIANA.

DANCING TOY.

Specification of Letters .Patent.

Patented @ct. 1, 191%.

Application filed March 12,1917. Serial No. 154,317.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY RUs'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at North J udson, in the county of Starke and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dancing Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to dancing toys and has for one of its principal objects the provision of a device whereby a figure is suspended over movable elements and is put through a series of dancing steps by the vibration of such elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the vibrating means are electrically operated, and in which the toy figure is so mounted as to be movable into or out of engagement with said vibrating means at the will of the operator.

In addition to the above and other objects which will be apparent as the device is more fully described, this invention consists in the detailsbf construction, arrangement and proportionpf parts as will be hereinafter more fully referred to in the specification, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a view of the invention in side elevation, and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

The several principal working parts of the device are positioned upon a supporting base piece 1 of any suitable dimensions having thereon a vertically extending brace 2 provided with bent ends 3 and 4: respectively. Suitable fastening means 5 are passed through the larger and lowermost end 3 of the brace 2 for the purpose of fastening the latter to the base 1. The upper end 4 provides a bearing for a transversely extending member 6 which is positloned longitudinal of the base 1 and is spaced a suitable distance therefrom as shown.

This member 6 is to be of spring'steel or other residient metal suitable for the purpose and should be supported upon the brace 2 in such manner as to permit the free movement of its ends 7 and 8 for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

An angularly extending arm or contact strip 9 is carried upon the upper face of'the resilient member 6, with its end 10 in uxtaposition to the end 4 of the brace 2 and connected therewith by means of fastening elements 11. The strip 9 projects upwardly A second binding from its point of connection 11 and has its free end. 12 which is provided with a contact piece 13 bent slightly to extend substantially parallel to the member 6.

A second vertical brace member 14 is also secured to the base 1 at a suitable distance from the brace 2 and is provided at its uppermost end 15 with an adjustable screw 16, the latter being held in engagement therewith by means of suitable tightening nuts 17 as illustrated. A suitable binding post 18 is arranged upon the lower end of the bracket 14 and has connected thereto a Wire 19 leading from an electrical magnet 20 carried at one end of the base 1 and disposed beneath the end 7 of the resilient member 6. post 21 is also provided upon the brace 2 and is placed in electrical connection with a battery 22,-the latter being directly connected to the magnet 20 by wire 23. A switch 21 is adapted to be suitably disposed above the base 1 for opening and closing the electrical circuit.

A vertically. extending socket 25 is arranged upon the base piece 1 and is adapted to support a rod 26 laterally of the resilient member 6, with an angularly bent portion 26 disposed to over-hang the end 8 of the resilient member. Loosely connected to the hooked end 27 of the angular portion 26 is a link 28 supporting a figure 29 of any suitable amusing design. As will be noted, this figure is to be composed of freely movable parts so as to be capable of going through a series of dancing operations when acted upon by the member 6. Normally the figure 29 would be at rest with the shoe tips 30 barely touching the platform 31 upon which the figure dances when in motion.

To operate the invention, the switch 24 is operated to close the electrical circuit which, as will be noted, may be traced from one side of the battery direct to the post 21, through the bracket 2 and its connection point 11 to the strip 9 which is normally in engagement with the screw 16. The circuit is continued from the strip 9 through the screw 16 and into the bracket 14 from whence it makes its exit through the post 18 to the magnet 20 and from there back again to the battery. It will therefore be seen that upon closing the switch 24 a circuit will be established and the magnet 20 energized. The latter, being thus energized attracts the end 7 of the member 6, causing the end 8 t move upwardly against the figure 29,

The end 7 in its movement toward the magnet tends to Withdraw the strip 9 from contact with the screw 16, upon which event the circuit will be broken and the attracting power of the magnet terminated so that the end 7 is released thereby and permitted to return to its original position. The strip 9 will again contact with the screw 16 thereby completing the electrical circuit again and energizing the magnet so that the part will once more be caused to operate.- As this make-and-break connection between the strip 9 and the screw 16 is of frequent and continuous occurrence, it will be thus seen that the member 6 is reciprocated in such manner that the member 8 is caused to vibrate very rapidly, such vibration tending to cause the figure 29 to be operated upon the platform 31.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A dancing toy including a base piece and a vibrating platform mounted thereon a contact strip connected to said platform, figure means suspended above one end of said platform, a vertical brace member secured to said base piece and having its uppermost end provided with an adjustable screw, said screw adapted to engage the said contact strip so as to limit the vibrating movement of the said platform, thus controlling the dancing of the said figure means, and means to vibrate said platform In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY RUST.

Witnesses JOHN S. LIGHTCAP, PERRY H. MoGoRMAcK. 

